The Unexpected Journey - The Dark Lords of Qendaya
by Qendaya
Summary: The Last Ranger Baron Aymer is sent out to locate Qendaya's last hope. But on the way they face together many threats and faces the dark lord and the forces of the dark elves. They must defeat these forces of evil in order to restore peace and freedom within the realms and the cities, kingdoms and so on.
1. Prologue - The Messenger from the South

**PROLOGUE**

 **The Unexpected Journey**

 _ **Story One of Four in: The Dark Lords of Qendaya**_

The place was snowy, everything filled with watery snow and ice. The old man walked towards the pillars which lead into the gates of the castle of Duranin. It then began to snow heavily, the snow would mix up with rain for one moment. He approach the gate and reaches his hand to knock.

"State your business." a guard beyond the gate stated behind.

The man first mumbled his words into the thick air. "I have news from Qendaya." he responded and shivered.

The gate suddenly opened up, the city of outrageous cold and winter. It is said to be a curse from the old gods. Those whom had long disappeared from the beliefs of mankind. It was more likely that mankind was forced into having such beliefs as their misty and cold-ish religion, from the dark elves during their reign over these lands.

The man entered the city, looked around himself and continued to shiver.

Guards walked to the man, one of them places his hand on the man's shoulder.

"The Lords would want to discuss important matters, with you."

One other guard would lead the foreign man into the halls of the Lord of Duranin.

The hall was not quite as cold as the other ones. The lord raised an eyebrow and observed the man's very step carefully. When approaching the last two pillars the guard halted him. "Halt. You may now hear the Lord speak."

The man placed his hand over his beard and began thinking.

"You have news from the South?" The Lord questioned politely and passionately. The man stood still for one moment, saying nothing until he was ready for it. "There is not much time, until the south is taken aswell. From far east, the dark elves and their lord has taken advantage of the cities of Buraman, Halaren and also Ferragon." The man shivered once more as the lord sat himself tightly to listen to these news.

"Halaran fell decades ago, they never had such great governmental support, Buraman has nearly fallen into ruins, I am surprised they are still willing to inhabit such city. And Ferragon, my brother's estate..? Any news of that..?"

The lord asked him without pausing between the words.

The man walked closer to the lord, the guards did not hesitate to halt him, the lord allowed the man to pass the second pillars.

"Unfortunately, Lord. It was taken several moons ago. There has been no words from any survivors."

"So my brother's corpse, remains in the ruins of his own city.."

"Yes." The man answered once again and turned to the door.

"Your city is taken.. Where will you be headed, Ranger?" The lord gasped for one moment and questioned him.

The man unveiled his hood and his grey hair and beard was revealed to the hall. As he walked to the exit he would state so that the lord would hear him clearly.

"I am going to cut off the head of the snake."

 _ **To be the Continued..**_


	2. Chapter One - The Warning

**CHAPTER ONE**

The sun's rising from the horizon outside while Jayran continues to sleep after a long feast the last night. It would be indeed rather tiring after enjoying himself of plenty of mead and dancing around until the other participated folks grew tired of the noise.

The door knocks heavily and a loud voice is heard behind it which wakes Jayran up. "Wake up, boy. Work's waiting for ya."

It was Jayran's adoptive father. He never knew his biological parents, he was told that they left him to this new family right after the moment he took his first breath on this world. His adoptive father was Eckhart and his adoptive mother was Marie. They both quite dispited Jayran but yet they were willing to care for him, and so on. Weird logic.

"I ain't gonna tell ya again, boy." Eckhart says loudly right before he walks down the stairs made of wood.

They lived as woodworkers, farmers and harvesters. With them lived the daughter of Eckhart and Marie, but Jayran was never allowed to converse with their daughter not even face the same way. He was not allowed to gain any friends because it would seem 'unnatural' for his adoptive parents.

They would raise him as a farmer as well. But as a hobby, he went out in the woods with his bow and arrow, he always gets the assignments of hunting their dinner from time to time.

Jayran struggled to open his eyes up and raised himself from his bed. Dressing up, his brown long boots he took on lastly. Walking downstairs only to see his parents argue. He was too tired to argue and handle this for now so he decided to go out for a bit.

Before he walked out of the door Eckhart stopped him and said to him. "Today yer getting the dining dishes from the merchants, I'm clear, boy?"

The words he said felt unpleasant but Jayran nodded and walked out. He would head for the town, he had yet headache after all things which had happened last night. He did not remember anything after all.

Hours pasted and the evening had passed. It was getting darker, after dawn. He had fetched the ditches from the merchants as told but yet he felt like he had forgotten something. Back there in a corner he saw his friend standing by smoking a pipe while looking at some strange figures.

"Having a pleasant evening, Ed?" Jayran approached him and asked politely.

"Ey, Jay. Let me show you something real quick." Ed conversed with him fastly and then pointed at two weird figures, tall for being of human race.

"Right.. This does not feel good at all, Ed. Perhaps we should go back.." Jayran stated while attempting to leave, he would seem afraid of those beings.

Ed grabbed him by his arm and pushed him into the wall.

"Please.. help me Jay! They are looking for me! I did.. a sacrifise to the old gods and now I have what they want! I believe they are out looking for me…" Ed confessed to him while sweat of fear were raining from his head.

Jayran did look terrified and in shock. He would look into Ed's eyes and see darkness and the frightening look of anxiety. He did not dare to believe those words.

"Ed, come on! Enough with these nonsense! The old gods are not even real.." He assured himself more than to his friend at this moment.

Ed looked more nervous.

"I… will not be punished for disbelief..But I believe they exist.."

Jayran marked his words.

The old gods were mythology by now, the Qendaryan Mythology was old and ancient. Rather strict and cruel gods by what they all learned. They were replaced decades ago by new gods and a new belief.

The old gods were now more known as the dark forces and so on.

"You must warn Lara! Warn Jessica! Warn Matthew!" Ed said out loudly while grabbing the shoulders of Jayran, his hands were shaking.

"They are coming for this city next… I've seen it.."

Sudden noises were heard about some districts ahead.

"Look, this was a pleasant, not, conversation, but sadly I must take my leave back to the farm. I hope your friendship problems will be solved soon." Jayran escaped from the frightening conversation, and tried to ignore and forget about it. By even refuse and change the topic in the end.

He was on his way back to the farm, but closely outside the city he stopped and turned around.

"The Old Gods…" He thought to himself.

"Might as well pay myself a visit to the tale speaker in the bar…"


	3. Chapter Two - The Raid

The night was short on this day, but not for Jayran. He did not sleep because of the unpleasant conversation he had earlier. Eckhart would knock heavily and loudly on the door as all days. Jayran raised himself up from the bed with sacks under his eyes due to the short amount of sleep he had the last few days.

Eckhart did not say anything this morning he only ran downstairs preparing the breakfast. Jayran walked down and saw Marie standing beside her husband, preparing the breakfast. His sister Lara would sit down on the table for the first time since he can remember.

"No, Lara. You are not joining the Forces." Marie clarified to Lara as if they've had an interesting conversation before Jayran went down there. Jayran never watched or observed Lara directly since he was forbidden to do so.

But Lara watched and observed his very steps, she did look quite irritated and disappointed. "I will not live here, harvesting maize my whole damn life!" She shouted out towards her parents as she smacked her hand on the table, and then walking hasty out through the door with an anger that reminded Jayran of thunder.

She was a strong and capable teenager, it is a pity that they were not friends or barely spoke. But Jayran did have friends secretly, Ed, Matthew, Jessica and so on.

Jayran sat down near the table and ate his breakfast calmly.

"Yer goin' out working. Takin' the night shift, boy." Eckhart told him with the harsh and strict voice he always had.

"Mhm." He nodded as he did every morning. He would walk out from the farm and outside he would sense a disturbing in his head, he would think that it was sudden severe headache. He crouches down and looks up on the sky.

The extremely bright blue sky with clouds slowly turned into dark, and misty skies. Jayran looked back at the farm thinking that it was a sudden weather change.

But noises were heard from the city. Screams the sound of raging fire. Jayran was shaking as he heard men and women scream out of fear. He stupidly ran into the city without even thinking for one moment of what would come next.

All the houses were burning. Citizens hanged on trees filled with blood. "This is just a dream" he would think for himself. But then, that thought would vanish two seconds later after seeing. A dark soldier, white skinned, black armored and heavily armed. Holding the head of his friend Ed. He yelled out for Ed. But he was dead and the head was not likely to respond.

"Doran an kanir." the soldier said in a foreign language, the voice would echo as if he was undead. He walked hastily and yet weirdly.

He feared for his farm and his family so he ran back as fast as he could into the farm and kicked in the door to the house.

"Mother!"

He yelled out seeing _him_ , the _monster_ that changed his life _**forever**_.

 _ **And so it begins...**_


	4. Chapter Three - Sudden Sorrows

**CHAPTER THREE**

The man which seemed like a monster in the eyes of humanity. He wore a black hood, a black cape. He was armored in dark heavy armor and was wielding a giant greatsword in a weird shape. "Doran an kanir…" he said when he revealed his face to the others around him. His face not as everyone believed, this man was clearly not ordinary nor mortal. His face was skeleton.

More soldiers entered Jayran's farmhouse, his family would crouch down in execution position while Jayran was watching. But Lara was not among them. Only his foster parents.

"Please don't kill us! We'll do anything! We beg you!" Marie begged and so did Eckhart, to the feets of the dark soldiers and the skeleton man. One dark soldier approached the skeleton and asked him. "What shall we do with these..?" He bowed down before him and looked back at the parents.

"Execute." He answered directly to the soldier and he nodded, to proceed.

"Wait!" Jayran attempted to stand up against them. The soldiers observed him.

"What do you want with us? We have no quarrel with you…" Jayran believed that he could persuade them to show mercy.

The skeleton man's breath was heard loudly, it sounded as if he was in pain.

"My Lord Supreme Commander?" the dark soldier insisted and questioned.

"Anhuldohar." the skeleton commander answered after moments of thinking.

The soldiers grabbed Jayran by his arms and took him outside, it was raining by now, not heavily though, but it was dark.

"Let me go!" Jayran demanded out towards the soldiers and fighted against. They took him down on the ground, many other soldiers grabbed his parents and took them out as well. Now they were crouching in front of each other, his parents and Jayran.

The skeleton man, which by now was clarified to be the supreme commander of these strange forces grabbed his foster father first. "It is honor for you to watch." He said as he grabbed the father by the neck holding his greatsword. It was not actually honor, it was more likely disgrace towards the relatives to watch their own being executed. "A gift.. for the gods.." The commander said slowly and quietly but so that Jayran could hear.

"Please, don't do this!" Jayran began to cry out and tears fell out from his eyes and down to his cheek. The parents cried out as well and they continued to beg for their lives. Eckhart was not as harsh and strict any longer.

The commander did not hesitate and took Eckhart more up to the air and then turned and swiped his head off with his greatsword hastily.

"Nooo!" Jayran screamed out and so did his mother.

"Doran an kanir." The commander whispered to the head of Eckhart. Jayran was beginning to think what those words mean, he have heard it three times by now. He pushed away the body of Eckhart beside Jayran and grabbed Marie next. "A gift to the gods.." He stated again as he swinged his greatsword towards her head. Her head flied in the air a couple of meters until it fell to the ground.

Jayran closed his eyes as he cried more and more. He could not breath correctly anymore and the cruel images were still stuck in his head. He was grabbed by the arms once against and they held up his neck and prepared for his own execution. "Help!" Jayran screamed out and tried to get loose.

He really felt disgraced and lost.

"Death is my salvation to you. I am here to rescue you from this cruel world. Now when you see how the world works you know that you cannot live in such world. Do not take this as punishment but let it grant you honorship by the gods." He said to Jayran speechily and took Jayran's body up a few, up in the air.

Tears would fall down to Jayran's cheeks.

There was no emotions in the skeleton's head nor eyes, no light, only darkness and devastation.

"Do not take this as punishment. This is salvation. I am to free you from this cruel world. This is no place for a boy such as you. Die now, knowing that the gods may give you another chance." The commander tells Jayran to calm him dowm.

But the commander drops him to the ground and inserts his greatsword into Jayran's chest instead for the head.

Jayran gasped and screamed out.

"I know it hurts, my child… This.. is only the beginning.." He would sound emotional and yet in the same cruel act as always.

Jayrna's mouth was filled with blood and the rain washed the blood down to the water, the sword remained in his chest. And it disappeared in dust.

He felt tired.. he closed his eyes.. and fell into the deepest sleep.. of eternity..


	5. Chapter Four - The Destruction of Aramon

**CHAPTER FOUR**

The ranger ride on his horse for miles from the south, to the north of Duranin and now he would headed for the east. To gather new rangers against this new threat. He mumbled as he smoked on his pipe.

He would reach the town of Aramon. Unfortunately he was way too late. It had burned down into ashes not long ago. Having the inhabitants hanging over on trees, blood would cross the streets and heads rolled through the city.

He was honestly not quite shocked or surprised. He only felt anger and that he had failed to do his one duty. Another city fallen by the dark forces of Qendaya. "Hell may take em' all." he said to himself.

The weather soon switched into coldness and snow would fall down from the sky. The sky would still be as black as it was during the raid.

It was a shame. Aramon was one of the most beautiful cities of Qendaya, to see it fallen like this really hurts deep in the feelings thought the ranger.

He did heard some noises so he got of his horse and unsheathed his sword, took down his hood and walked towards some districts.

The undead would remain, only a few though. The others may have returned to their lands already.

Undead ran towards the old ranger, and he prepared to fight against them. All he did once they swinged their weapons at him, was to dodge around two times and then strike them down. He was clearly a professional in swordsmanship. Using those tricks with the sword and dodging and striking down so easily.

He grabbed his cape and cleaned his sword with it.

"Unfortunately I have no time for nonsense such as these…" He told himself and took out one of his glove, and magic of blue light would come out from his hand. The other undead ran towards him and he shot it with his mysterious magic from his hand.

He took on his glove again and shivered in the cold. Walking towards all of the abandoned houses, there would be a young lad sitting there on the corner, probably dead. Having a sign around his neck, signed with blood. "Doran an kanir."

The ranger chuckled. And placed his hand on his grey beard. "Lost words." and yet it frightened him.

He saw a farm, burnt down, but all of it was not on fire. Perhaps there was a chance of any surviving inhabitant over there so he walked there as quick as possible and shivered meanwhile. Holding his sword with a strong grip in-case he would need to fight.

In the snow he saw tons of blood, two heads and two bodies. But no sign of any survivors.

The reason he arrived in this city was actually because he was looking for the "Chosen one", to follow a prophecy. But the ranger would think that he is dead by now.

Suddenly he hears breathing. Quiet and yet a spark of life. A _young_ _boy_ , _brown haired, mid-length to the neck, perhaps around fifteen years old._

The ranger opened up the boy's eye to ensure life. His eyes were dark green and his skin had gone pale after laying there for a long time.

His farmer clothes had been burned but yet to cover most of his body.

The ranger grabbed him, dragging him in the snow into the _forest_ , with his robes and hood.

 _ **And so it begins...**_


	6. Chapter Five - The Life Rescuer

**CHAPTER FIVE**

The Ranger stopped by in the middle of the forest, the sun was gone and darkness fell over the forest, mist and fog made it through the forest in some parts. He lay Jayran on a safe place, laying him on the grass, trees surrounded them. He set up a fire with woods he found quite easily.

He sat around it shivering and warming himself up. Holding a stick and played with the fire.

Meanwhile he watched Jayran closely as he were in deep sleep, perhaps even unconscious.

He could sense that the boy were about to wake up. So he went closer to the sleeping boy and placed his hand on the forehead.

"Slept well?" He asked Jayran. But Jayran did not respond, only did he open his eyes quick as possible and jumped up from the blankets.

"Mother!" He yelled out in sorrow.

The ranger placed his hand on Jayran's shoulder in order to calm him down. "Silence, boy." He said hastily and yet calmly at the same time.

"We cannot afford more trouble."

Jayran calmed himself and burst out in tears and hugged himself with the blanket. He didn't want the ranger to see him this sad.

"I know. The pain. The sorrow that runs through your heart right now. I've felt the same many times, it is part of life." The ranger said as he sat down at his spot once again.

"And yet, I always rised from the pain, I fought my mind and my feelings. I always stayed strong. You can learn to do the same."

Jayran looked over at him with his face red after all tears. "Who are you? Why did you take me here?" He demanded an answer for his question.

But the answer was quite obvious.

"I would not let an innocent child die in vain. Not anymore…"

He was feeling the emotions coming forward.

"I am Baron, last ranger of Aylander. The first city to fall in this cursed land. I was forced into exile once my comrades, the rangers of Aylander was executed and when King Daeran II was executed by the 'Supreme Commander."

Jayran observed him carefully and had more questions to come up with that he had in mind.

"The forces you saw is the Dark Forces of Ancient Qendaya. Lead by their Supreme Commander, and overseen by their Supreme Leader, presumably one of the old gods."

"What did they want with me?" Jayran asked him.

"I do not know. Perhaps the commander felt a sense of connection towards you or your family. All that I know is that this city was next in their conquest of Qendaya." He responded politely.

"Soon enough there will only be the East remaining, when the East is conquered, Qendaya will be lost to the dark elves."

"The Dark Elves..? They were extinct for around a thousand years ago.." Jayran questioned him once more.

"So did we all believe." Baron assured to Jayran.

"Tell me, boy. What is your full name?" Baron asked, and looked down at him suspiciously.

"I never had a last name.. only Jayran, sir.."

"Very well. We shall continue tomorrow. Your training shall begin in the morning, there is a cabin over there by the way. If you require a warmer spot."

 ** _"_** ** _Huh..? Training.. what?"_**


End file.
